Govt to discuss allegations MMEA intruded Indonesian waters

12 Apr 2019 / 17:56 H.

KLANG: Malaysia will hold discussions with Indonesia on allegations that the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) had encroached into the waters of the republic when it obstructed the detention of Malaysian fishermen by Indonesian authorities.

Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said the matter would however be brought to the committee of the Home Ministry, Foreign Minister and Defence Ministry earlier before proceeding to discussions with the Indonesian government .

“Malaysia and Indonesia have very cordial relations and I am confident the issue would be resolved amicably,“ he told reporters after performing Friday prayers at Kota Raja Mosque, here today.

He was commenting on a three-minute video which went viral on Facebook on Wednesday, which showed an MMEA fast interceptor craft approaching a boat believed to be an Indonesian enforcement agency vessel to assist the detained fishing boat.

Yesterday, MMEA director-general Admiral Maritime Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abu Bakar was reported as saying the detention of the local fishermen took place in overlapping waters in Belawan located 15 nautical miles from Pulau Jarak in Perak on Tuesday.

According to Zulkifli, the waters was claimed by Malaysia and Indonesia and the ownership of the waters has not been finalised.

In the incident, five foreigners who were working in the boat as crew members including the skipper were detained by Indonesian authorities.

The action of Indonesian enforcers was disputed as the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia had before this agreed to only chase away traditional fishermen found fishing in the waters and not to detain them. — Bernama